Reflection
by That Was Real Subtle Bentley
Summary: Ratchet thinks about his love life, and realises there's one person he'd love to see more than ever. Except chances are that she's beyond furious with him, and could potentially rip his head off on sight. What's a lombax supposed to do?
1. Chapter 1

**Reflection - Chapter 1**

 **04/06/2018 - I tweaked this chapter as well, so that's cool. Fleshed it out a bit more. As I was reading through it, I realised I could have added quite a bit more detail - hindsight is a wonderful thing, huh?**

* * *

 **Kyzil Plateau, Veldin, Solana Galaxy  
**

Ratchet had difficulty sleeping. Though he was comfortably tucked away in the hammock in his garage, his mind wouldn't settle. This wasn't an unusual event for him ever since his escape from Dreadzone only a few months before. Fighting other contestants on live HoloVision... it was a crazy setup, too cold and heartless to be true. He couldn't believe he had been kidnapped, only to fight various aliens and robots on _live_ HoloVision, where millions and millions of people would tune in to watch. The entire fiasco bothered him. The fact that it had continued for so long and Ratchet had to be the one to stop it baffled him. Where were the Galactic authorities when you needed them?

His mind kept leaping back to when he faced Ace Hardlight in the Liberator Tournament. Amid all the jumping, dodging and shooting, Ratchet couldn't shake the feeling that he recognised his foe. He'd previously mentioned to Clank that he remembered hearing about Ace when he was a child himself, and that he mysteriously disappeared, only for Clank to dismiss it as 'someone else'.

Ratchet wasn't so sure. Then he found himself wondering what it would have been like if he had been as weak-willed as Ace, and got sucked into Gleeman Vox's offer. He imagined himself killing all those heroes for no reason other than money. Taking the lives of many well-known faces in the galaxy for financial reward. The thought of it made him sick. He then remembered Ace's reasoning: fun. Ratchet imagined taking the lives of his fellow contestants, enjoying himself while he did so, only for his stomach to knot up. Enjoying murder was unfathomable for the lombax; it disgusted him. Sure, he'd blown up plenty of robots over the last few years, and then there were the belligerent Blarg and the invading Tyrrhanoids, but it was them or him. He had never taken an innocent life, and he had no intention of ever letting that happen.

He thought about the Protopet infestation in Allgon City. He vividly remembered the blue fuzzballs of chaos rampaging throughout the city, chowing down on the robotic residents who were helpless to defend themselves. Ratchet's aim was impeccable, and he ensured that not a single citizen was harmed by his fire. It was a moment of pride for the lombax, who, despite the hell that was unleashed before him, kept his cool, where others would fail to do the same.

Of course, the Protopet menace would never have been prevented without the help of MegaCorp geneticist Angela Cross, a fellow lombax who originated as an enemy of Ratchet's, but quickly became an incredibly reliable ally. Together, they stopped Captain Qwark's twisted attempt of a comeback, and saved the Bogan Galaxy as a result. The thought of the geneticist brought a smile to Ratchet's face. He wondered how she was doing. He hoped she was alright, especially since _the incident_.

Then the smile died. Gosh, he had been such an ass.

* * *

 **Clank's Apartment, Megapolis, Endako, Bogan Galaxy, two years ago  
**

"This whole Protopet business was _insane_!" Ratchet exclaimed, nearly launching out of his seat. "I can't believe this galaxy was threatened by a fuzzball!"

Ratchet and Angela were relaxing on the sofa in Clank's apartment. They'd spent the last five hours talking about Ratchet's various adventures: how he saved his home, and how he'd saved a second galaxy. They often compared notes, with Ratchet telling Angela what he did, with the female lombax following up with what she had heard on the news. She vaguely remembered hearing about a far-away galaxy being threatened by some guy who was tearing planets apart, when some kid took it upon himself to destroy the Blargian threat. It was something she barely took notice of, especially since it was happening millions of miles away, but now she knew of the man behind the name, it suddenly felt incredibly real. Though she wouldn't dare admit it out of fear of inflating his ego, she found it rather impressive.

"An incredibly belligerant and blood-thirsty fuzzball," Angela corrected. "You may try and act smug, but they were a pest to deal with you know it!" she added with a laugh. The Protopet's ability to multiply rapidly was not a feature she had intended to be a part of her creation. Instead, she was convinced it was one of the many undesirable additions included after her resignation from MegaCorp. It certainly wasn't something she was laughing about at the time.

"What can I say? I live dangerously."

"You'll just get yourself killed."

"I'm still kicking now," Ratchet shot back with a smug smirk. It irked Angela, but she couldn't help but laugh at him anyway. She could tell from his way of joking that he used to be incredibly arrogant and stubborn, but was recently humbled. His humour was faux-narcissist - remarks of the egotistical kind, albeit not sincere. The way Ratchet spoke about his reluctant quest to save to Solana Galaxy told Angela that he was ashamed of his past behaviour, his treatment of Clank, his narrow-mindedness, his selfishness. She saw something die in his eyes when he talked about helping the lone commander on Batalia, or when he started focusing exclusively on Captain Qwark instead of saving the galaxy. But the way he also described these moments was like an adult talking about the stupid things they did as a child, his tone of voice drenched in regret; it was obvious that Ratchet wasn't that person anymore. However, his love of danger and adventure hadn't faded at all, which convinced Angela that he was still careless. The lombax sat before her had only just matured into adulthood, and still had a lot to learn.

Angela herself wasn't much older than him. When Ratchet was seventeen, he saved a galaxy. Four years prior, when Angela had been the same age, she had entered the genetics division of MegaCorp. She too had made her fair share of mistakes, much to her embarrassment. Sure, she could easily criticize him, but she wasn't an ancient, wise, philosopher; she was a young woman.

She looked back at her fellow lombax, who smiled at her. For someone who was incredibly reckless at times, he was... cute. Chatty, street-wise, charming... Angela tried to mentally shake that thought from her head, considering she had only known the guy for a day, maybe two - she wasn't sure.

Was this because he was a lombax too? Ever since she'd been abandoned as a baby, she'd never seen another one in her life, until now. There had been no records of a living lombax in the Bogan Galaxy for years. The fact that no one had seen another meant that the fact that they were essentially extinct was like common knowledge. Repopulation was a futile idea. She had accepted that she was one of the last ones, and so had Ratchet. Their species died with them. So if it wasn't for the sake of preserving their race, then what was it? She cocked her head slightly, which was such a subtle movement that Ratchet didn't notice, and chewed her lip as she thought.

A little crush? Maybe. She liked the guy, he had a warm and friendly way about him. Typically an incredibly private person, Angela kept herself to herself. Most of her co-workers didn't even know what planet she lived on, others barely knowing her name. The only thing everyone knew about her was that she was one of the main culprits behind broken glassware in the lab. Ratchet, on the other hand, was so easy to open up to. When she first encountered him aboard her flying lab, Angela could instantly tell from his fresh-faced look that his intentions were pure, and he had no idea how dangerous the Protopet was.

Angela had divulged a lot about her personal life, and it was as if she had known him for years. Much to her surprise, she suddenly remembered that she met him properly for the first time on Tabora, not so long ago. She couldn't believe how comfortable she felt around him. Maybe it was a sign. A sign of what though?

Ratchet looked around his surroundings, and his gaze wandered to the now-empty armchair to his left. "Say, where did Clank go?" he queried upon realising his robotic companion was nowhere to be seen. Now that he thought about it, it had been a while since Clank had offered any additional commentary to Ratchet's story-telling, and now he knew why.

"He left around the part where you took out the Blarg ships dumping toxic waste on Pokitaru. He left with his _friend_ ," she said, with a suggestive emphasis on 'friend'.

"But that was three hours ago!" Ratchet exclaimed, struggling to recall seeing Clank getting up and making his departure. Angela chuckled at his confused reaction. He was so engrossed in his story-telling, he didn't notice the little robot leave. Instead, his attention was focused solely on impressing her, which she secretly enjoyed.

"So," she started nervously, "I assume you'll be going back to Solana?" She fidgeted in her seat slightly, not wanting to hear the answer. _Please don't go_ , she thought sadly.

"I don't think so," Ratchet replied, much to Angela's relief. "I reckon we'll probably stay here for a while. I mean, this place is paid for!" He laughed, to which Angela joined, albeit nervously. She was pleased. She wanted to see more of him, but had no idea how to set that up. She was desperately trying to think of something while simultaneously listening to the conversation. Except the conversation trailed off awkwardly, and she had now idea how to start it back up.

But this silence was different from silences she shared with men who weren't all that interested in her. Those were painfully awkward, especially when eye contact was made and nervous smiles were exchanged, but no conversation emerged. That was _awkward_ awkward, where it was blatantly obvious that no one has anything in common and thus nothing to talk about, whereas this was just... awkward?

 _It's not awkward_ , Angela thought to herself, _we've just spent hours talking and talking, it's natural for it to trail off now, right?_

She took this silence to examine Ratchet. She never really looked at him during the whole Protopet affair, considering the lombax never stayed still in combat, but now, she found him really attractive. His chiseled face, his strong build, his swoon-inducing smile, his eyes... emerald eyes she could stare into for the rest of her life.

 _Woah, slow down Ang_ , she scolded herself.

"So, uh..." Ratchet murmured nervously, "will you be returning to MegaCorp? I mean, the Protopet is safe now, you could go back to working on... something else?"

"I think so, I guess I could slide back in again," she replied, pleased to see the conversation picking up. "Before, I only really resigned because of..." She paused, fumbling for the right term. She chewed on her lip as she thought, to which Ratchet smiled. It was a cute habit she had, and Ratchet felt his heart melt at the sight of it. She was incredible... smart, beautiful, brilliant, and she had all these nervous little mannerisms and cute faces she pulled while she talked and thought. It was endearing.

"... ethical conflict," she finished, the smile returning on her face. "Accepting that my creation was a killer was something I couldn't do, knowing that it was going to be released to the public. So I had to what was right."

"So the _right_ thing to do was dress up as a masked weirdo and steal the thing?" Ratchet questioned with a small laugh.

"Masked weirdo?" she repeated, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "The disguise was solid, I haven't been arrested-"

"-yet."

"I doubt they even know it was me!" she protested, scowling at Ratchet. "And I guess the creature was technically mine, I created it! Therefore, it wasn't theft."

Ratchet shook his head, chuckling to himself. "You stole corporate property, you're nuts."

Angela shrugged coyly. "It saved the galaxy."

"Oh no," Ratchet started, "it got me involved, which then saved the galaxy!" he joked.

"You do realise I'm still mad about you shooting me on Siberius, you corporate lackey." she said, half-joking, half-serious: Lancer rounds stung.

"You started it, you set MegaCorp Security Robots on me on your flying lab. You do realise chainsaw blades hurt, right?" Ratchet replied defensively, only to switch back to his usual smiling self within seconds.

"Nanotech will buff that right out, you big baby," she stated.

The laughter of the two lombaxes trailed off.

Silence again.

"So, I guess I'd better be heading back," Angela said, noticing the time. "It's getting late, and if I don't get back quick enough, the Y.E.T.I.s will be swarming my home." She stood up and started to walk towards the front door. She stumbled slightly as she did so, much to her embarrassment.

"You could stay here if you wanted, so you don't, you know, get torn to bits." Ratchet stumbled as he quickly lept to his feet, dashing after her.

Angela spun around and smiled. "Thanks, but no thanks. They've been getting more aggressive recently. If I'm not home, chances are they'll break in and wreck the place."

"Oh... okay," Ratchet faltered. Silently cursing himself, he forced his brain to hastily come up with a plan. He wanted a reason to see her again. He _needed_ a reason. He could sense that this girl was something different, something special.

"I guess I should move to a different planet, the Tundor Wastes are lethal," she pondered aloud.

"No kidding. Collecting moonstones was suicide."

"You honestly tried collecting moonstones? Are you stupid?"

"It's a long story." Ratchet rubbed the back of his head nervously, while raising his eyebrows in a manner Angela considered smug. Whatever he did, she could tell he was pleased with it.

"Maybe I could hear it sometime."

"Maybe."

Silence. The two lombaxes stared at each other, unsure of what to say. After a few moments, Angela spoke up again.

"So thanks for the adventure," she said warmly. "I guess I'll see you around?"

"I guess so." He looked down at his feet as he tried to think of an excuse to see Angela again. He could feel that this was them going their separate ways. He needed to think of something, _now_!

"Say, Angela..."

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow night..."

"What about it?"

"Dinner?"

The two lombaxes froze. Ratchet couldn't believe he blurted the invitation out, whereas Angela couldn't believe that someone was actually interested in her. Most of her affections had been rejected by previous men, especially once they realised how much of a klutz she was. It was soul-destroying for her. Then again, staying home instead of crashing into a dinner cart in public sometimes felt like the more desirable option for Angela.

"I mean," he resumed, "you want to hear about the moonstones, right?" He grinned as he looked at her, rubbing the back of his head again.

A smile crept on her face. "I want to hear everything." She knew her luck was beginning to turn around.

* * *

 **So here we've got some RatchetxAngela stuff, because I think the world needs more of those two. This was originally envisioned as a one-shot, but turns out I plan on going into a lot more detail.  
**

 **As per usual, if you like what you're reading, follow and review, because more will be on the way.**

 **Cheers!**

 **~TWRSB**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Reflection -**_ **Chapter 2**

 **Chapter edited 10 September 2018 - good golly gosh I had no idea how short and threadbare this chapter was. Not acceptable, must fix.**

* * *

 **Kyzil Plateau, Solana Galaxy, present day.**

Ratchet hopped down from his hammock, landing noiselessly. Straightening up, he gazed over to his robotic companion, who was sat by a wall, charging during his night-time hibernation. The Lombax's movements had not disturbed him, much to Ratchet's relief. Right now, he didn't want to talk to anyone about why he was still up or how he was feeling. He simply wanted to be left alone with his thoughts right now.

A small breeze wafted through the broken workshop wall, ruffling Ratchet's fur.

He _really_ needed to get that wall fixed. He quietly crept towards the front entrance of his workshop and perched himself on the ground outside, his legs dangling over a ledge. It was a clear night, and the many billions of stars were twinkling. Quartu glowed in the sky with its dark-green hue. It was beautiful. Ratchet had grown up with this view above his head every night and he never grew tired of it.

The Lombax felt a tight knot develop in his chest and he heaved a heavy sigh. He knew exactly who would love the view tonight. After all, she loved it the last time she saw it.

* * *

 **Kyzil Plateau, Solana Galaxy, two years ago.  
**

As they approached the landing pad next to Ratchet's old home, he engaged the ship's landing mode and slowly made his descent, gradually inching closer to the ground. Once the lombax was satisfied with the distance between the ship and the relatively flat terrain below them, he cut the engine, which hissed, as if angry with his decision to stop the ship's motion. Ratchet had landed his ship with expert precision, much to Angela's approval.

"You're too good to be a self-taught pilot," she complimented, nervously brushing a lock of hair from her face. Giving compliments didn't come naturally to the geneticist and she felt the knot of nervousness develop within, tying itself tighter and tighter.

"This landing site is where I built my first ship. I'm not lying, I learned by myself," Ratchet laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head, leaning back into his pilot's seat. He wasn't used to receiving compliments either, despite the outwardly narcissistic behaviour of his teenage years.

"I'm not saying you're lying," Angela said with a small chuckle. "I'm saying that considering you didn't have any form of piloting tuition, you're too good."

"MegaCorp did give me some combat training, but the basics, that's all me."

"You stopped Chairman Drek with no flight experience. That's impressive."

"I wouldn't say no experience. I got better at the mission progressed."

"It's still impressive, no matter how hard you try to downplay it."

Ratchet shrugged bashfully before popping the cockpit open. They both clambered out of the MegaCorp-issued ship, and hopped onto the ground. Ratchet walked around from the right side of the ship, and looked up at Angela, halting to savour the moment, hoping it would burn into his brain. She looked incredible. Yep, he certainly was the luckiest man in two galaxies combined tonight.

Her hair was let down, and the small curls that formed whenever she did so tumbled down to her shoulders. She was wearing a sweeping black dress, which highlighted her slim figure. She also sported flat shoes tonight, which had done little to prevent her from stumbling all evening. She felt bad for a couple who had been innocently dining at the same restaurant they went to, except they had lost their table cloth, along with their food, in a single klutzy move from Miss Cross.

The couple got angry, the discussion got heated and it put a downer on the evening, with Angela struggling to cheer up. But at this moment, none of that mattered to Ratchet. Right now, he thought she looked beautiful. He loosened the bowtie of the dark suit he was wearing nervously, and felt his mouth dry up when she noticed he was staring at her. His eyes snapped away from her, and he dashed up to a weird-looking rock beside her feet.

"Hey, check this one out!" he declared, lifting the rock and pretending to inspect it. "I'm telling you, you can find some really cool rocks in this galaxy!" Angela shook her head and emitted a good-humoured laugh. _What a dork_. He may try and pretend he's a smooth-talker, but this recovery, Angela felt, was pretty lame.

Grinning an embarrassed grin, Ratchet awkwardly placed the rock back on the ground. He gently gestured for Angela to follow him and led her to the opening of his old workshop. He punched a button on a console by the opening, and the gloomy-looking workspace sparked to life. Judging from the way Ratchet held himself, this was the place where he shone the brightest: this was his niche. It was as if he was getting ready to tinker with anything. Angela felt the empty workspace calling out to her too. It was a lombax trait, as if they could picture what piece was supposed to go where before touching anything. But the determined expression etched on Ratchet's face suggested that he had lived and breathed this workspace for a very, very long time.

"Home," he said, finally presenting the workshop they had been examining for the last minute. "It's not much, but it's mine."

"It's incredible," she said, jaw agape, causing the male lombax to shoot an appreciative grin, before he wandered off. When Angela turned around, she saw he had settled on a small ledge a small way away from the workshop opening, his small legs dangling over the ledge, dust clinging to his suit.

"So," she started, walking over to the smaller Lombax, "why did you bring me here?" She sat down beside him.

"The hustle-and-bustle of Megapolis was getting to me," he confessed, looking at Angela. "I used to think Veldin was so boring because it was empty, and I couldn't wait to leave." He broke eye contact. "But now, after seeing so many things and blowing stuff up, I know nothing can beat home. I needed to come back."

"I hear that," she whispered. "MegaCorp offered me a place in Megapolis when I first started working there."

"For real?" Ratchet replied. "And you turned it down for Grelbin?"

"I lived in Grelbin at the time, and had done since I was a baby. I couldn't leave, especially for _Megapolis,_ " she said with disgust in her voice.

"I've lived here since I was a baby too," he said. "I guess that's what it takes to be a lombax, huh? Staying in some virtually uninhabited wasteland until you grow up and can make something of your life."

They both laughed a sad, hollow laugh, before drifting off. He had a point.

They both watched the night sky together. The night was clear, with not a cloud in the sky. The hundreds of stars glistened and contrasted against the dark sky. A dull-green planet caught Angela's interest as its glow dominated the night.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at it.

"That's Quartu," Ratchet replied.

"It's beautiful," she said, voice full of awe. The journey between galaxies had taken hours, but now Angela felt that it was so worth it.

"Clank came from a factory there."

"No kidding?" Angela said. While her gaze was still locked onto the nearby planet, she brushed another lock of hair from her face, causing Ratchet's stomach to flip. He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life before. "How did you two meet?" she continued. "I don't think you mentioned it earlier." She looked back at him, awaiting his answer.

Ratchet took a moment to regain his composure, but Angela's emerald eyes were driving him crazy.

 _I have to kiss her_ , he thought, before immediately scolding himself for the mere thought.

"Ratchet?" Angela asked, her head cocked. "Did you hear me?"

"Uh?" He replied stupidly. He hadn't. "How Clank and I met?" he murmured. She nodded, encouraging him to continue. He anxiously rubbed his head. "Well, Clank is a defect from a range of warbots that were being produced at the factory there. He escaped, and stole a ship, but he was chased to Veldin. He then got shot down and crash landed over there." Ratchet pointed in the direction of the crash site. "I salvaged him from the wreck. I needed a robotic ignition system, so he started my ship, but I had to help him find Captain Qwark in return. Clank was right about everything and I was a jackass who didn't listen to him. The rest is history."

"So I guess this place is quite special to you, given that so many important things have happened to you since you met him," she said, her emerald eyes locking onto his.

He nodded, his hand trailing onto hers. Upon realising what he had done, she sharply inhaled, and felt her face burning bright red.

 _He didn't just..._ she thought, overwhelmed by what was happening.

"It's even more special because you're here," he whispered, fixated on her gaze. He gently squeezed her hand, before shuffling closer to her, sending a little dust into the air. He slowly moved his head towards hers. Upon realising what was happening, Angela's heart leapt with sheer joy.

 _This is it!_

She too moved towards Ratchet, and felt her lips brush his as she closed her eyes, noting his were ever-so-slightly chapped. She gently broke off from the kiss, before pressing her lips against his again, this time more firmly.

They both shyly broke away, eyes nervously darting away from each other's gaze. Neither of them spoke for a moment, each lombax sitting with their own thoughts and feelings, unsure of what to say or how to act.

Finally, Angela spoke up. "That was nice."

Ratchet looked up and gave a small smile. "It was." And it grew silent again. A bird squawked nearby, its song reverberating slightly in the night air.

"What kind of bird is that?" Angela enquired, curious to learn about the local wildlife.

Ratchet snorted, unable to restrain his mirth. "That's no bird, it's a skreeduck."

Angela shook her head, slightly embarrassed with herself. "Now that I think of it, it did have a harsh quality to it."

"I would have thought a geneticist would know her organisms a bit better," he taunted, giving Angela a slight nudge with his elbow. She playfully scowled at him, shaking her head disapprovingly.

The pair fell silent, listening to various chirps, squeaks, and cries, and the rustle of the little vegetation nearby. A gentle breeze blew, ruffling the duo's fur and kicking more dust into the air.

"I really like you Ratchet," Angela finally said, taking his hand and squeezing it slightly. He was taken aback, but his nervous expression quickly softened.

"I really like you too, Angela," he replied, before leaning forward and giving her a soft kiss on the cheek. Before he could lean back, she held his face in her hand, and kissed him again. It was a warm and lingering kiss, with Angela's curls tickling Ratchet's face. He took her face in his hands too, and held her close, kissing her more passionately.

* * *

 **Kyzil Plateau, Solana Galaxy, present day.**

Ratchet felt a tear run down his face.

Angela. He missed her more than he even realised, and it hit him like a ship with a gravimetric warp drive installed. He lost her, and he was an idiot for it. He couldn't forgive himself for leaving her and he doubted she would forgive him as well.

He knew what he had to do. It was a crazy idea, it was a stupid idea, but it was the best he had right now.

He wiped the single tear away with a gloved fist before springing to his feet. He gazed over at his robotic companion, still charging. He figured Clank would finish charging when the Lombax returned; the robot wouldn't know he had even left. He sprinted over to his ship, hopped inside, and ignited the thrusters. He quickly took off from the launch pad, before flying upwards, picking up enough speed to break out of the orbit.

His destination; Tundor Wastes, Grelbin.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Reflection**_ **\- Chapter 3**

 **09 September 2018 - tweaked it a bit, but not loads. Sometimes short but sweet is nice.**

* * *

 **Solana Galaxy, present day.  
**

The ship ride was quiet. Ratchet couldn't remember the last time he had done a large journey like this without Clank in the passenger seat beside him. The last time a ship ride had been this quiet was when the duo flew to Batalia after defeating Qwark's Snagglebeast three years previously. Ratchet had been absolutely furious at the robot's well-meaning naivety, and spent the next few journeys silently fuming, refusing to speak to him while he flew. Ratchet scowled at the thought of his old arrogant nature. Clank didn't deserve that treatment. The first adventure would have been something Ratchet could have been completely proud of. Telling Angela about Drek's defeat made him feel physically sick. He resented his 17-year-old self.

And he missed Angela. He missed her so much, his throat tightened and his chest ached. He missed her surprise visits after she finished her day's work at MegaCorp. Instead of returning to her home in the Tundor Wastes, she would pop into his and Clank's apartment, sometimes staying the night if it would be too late, and too dangerous, to return to Grelbin. He missed those nights, where she would rest her head on Ratchet's furry chest, and they would spend hours talking, instead of sleeping, about anything and everything: Angela's day, funny anecdotes, the meaning of life, their future.

They talked a lot about their future. Not the future of the Lombax race, as they both knew they were beyond preservation, but about their lives. Despite being together for a little under a year, they'd talked about where they would live, what they would do for a living, the possibility of marriage. They discussed it between them, and they both preferred having a small, quiet service. Given Ratchet's near-celebrity status, there was a high chance that his wedding would be a highly publicised event. Yes, they definitely wanted something private, a sweet moment they would share between them, and some close friends. They talked a lot about what kind of service they would have, and where they would have it. They talked about everything, thought everything through.

And that included children. They could both imagine it; three little fuzzballs running around their home, tinkering with various devices, showing Daddy what they had made, while Mommy, who worked as a 'creature scientist' at MegaCorp, showed them how to fix them correctly. They'd even discussed names, which ones they liked, which ones they didn't. They both knew that, no matter what, their kids would have parents who would be there for them. They would have the childhood their parents never had. It would be perfect.

Even though it would have been a bit early to ask her to marry him, he had even started planning the proposal, rehearsing how he would say "Angela, will you marry me"...

The ship's communication device beeped, startling the Lombax out of his daydreaming.

Ratchet answered and saw Clank rounded face appear on the feed.

"Ratchet," the little robot said, with a hint of anger in his voice. "What are you doing? You left during my hibernation period without letting me know where you are going."

"I couldn't sleep," the lombax replied sheepishly, "so I decided to have a quick fly around the galaxy."

The robot continued scowling, not believing his organic companion. "I do not recall flying as a method of aiding sleep deprivation in Lombaxes," he started, attempting to highlight the obvious lie in Ratchet's reasoning, "so I highly doubt-"

"It's... Angela..." Ratchet interrupted, knowing he wasn't going to be able to fool Clank. That robot was too perceptive for his own good. That, or he was persistent in pointing out contradictions contained within one's story. "I... couldn't stop thinking about Angela. Right now, everything seems to be a reminder of her, and I can't take it," he continued, his voice cracking slightly. The robot's expression quickly softened.

"You are not going to see her, are you?" he cautiously asked.

"Yeah pal, I am," Ratchet replied with a deep sigh.

"But she is in the Bogan Galaxy."

"I know."

"And you remember how things ended," the robot reminded Ratchet, in an attempt to disuade his friend from pressing on with his journey. He didn't want him to get hurt.

The Lombax froze. "I didn't end them, I left them."

* * *

 **Clank's Apartment, Megapolis, Bogan Galaxy, one year ago.  
**

"Stay tuned for more Secret Agent Clank," said the deep male voice from the HoloVision screen.

Ratchet was disgruntled. He despised filming the stupid show. The final edit of every episode always made him look like an idiot, and he wondered how much more humiliation he could physically take.

"That was terrific!" Clank said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, great," Ratchet said curtly, unimpressed. "Change the channel."

"But the man said stay tuned," Clank protested with a small, uncertain shrug.

Ratchet, who was already in a foul mood from his companion's show, snatched up the remote and changed to a different channel. When he saw what was being broadcast on the news, his jaw dropped; a live report from Veldin. But this was no ordinary report, as plasma shots were darting across the screen, an explosion was heard nearby, and the news anchor, Darla Gratch, was slowly being swarmed by bipedal, tentacle-eyed creatures wielding blasters.

Ratchet felt a mixture of fury and disbelief rise within him. He knew what he had to do. He leapt off the sofa.

"We're going home," he growled.

* * *

 **An hour later.**

After finally fitting the gravimetric warp drive to his ship, Ratchet was prepared to go, until a stray thought hit him like a weight suddenly dropping on him.

 _Angela! I have to go to Solana now, but if I don't come back, it'll crush her._

He knew what he had to do. He dashed back inside Clank's apartment and retrieved a pen and some paper. After a deep sigh, he began writing. He wondered how long it would take before he would stop hating himself for this. _Years, probably_.

* * *

 **Later that evening.  
**

Angela was exhausted. It was absolute chaos at the labs today, and she was in a foul mood. The new employee, a young man barely out of his teens, damaged an incredibly important, and incredibly delicate piece of equipment. Angela had been waiting months to spend time with it, having booked a slot six months ago. She was supposed to use it today. And now, her work was going to be held up, and she knew she was going to get into a lot of trouble with her supervisor, a grumpy, grey, and unreasonable woman in her 50s.

She felt the need to blow of some steam. She knew she needed a workout, a hot drink, and her man. Ratchet always knew how to cheer her up, no matter how angry or upset she was. She felt a smile creep over her face. The thought of Ratchet cheering her up cheered her up.

As she walked up to the door of Clank's apartment, she noticed that it was dark inside.

"Weird," she murmured to herself, "they're always in at this time." Before leaving work, she had called ahead to let Ratchet know she was coming over. Except there was no answer, so she left a message instead. Seeing the darkened apartment made her feel uneasy inside. Then she noticed Ratchet's ship wasn't in its spot.

 _Where could they have gone?_

She opened the door and let herself into the apartment. She reached over for the light switch, and watched the room illuminate. She looked around, and was relieved to find the place fully furnished. There was even a Galactic Chess board on the coffee table. She saw a Blargian Snagglebeast piece in checkmate, and knew Ratchet had been beaten by Clank, yet again.

 _At least they haven't been evicted!_

Then she saw the paper beside the chess board. A small, folded piece of paper with 'Angela' written across it sat on the table. It sparked her curiosity. She walked over to the coffee table, but stumbled slightly as she tripped on her foot. She looked at the note for a moment before hesitantly scooping it up. She examined the writing. It was Ratchet's scrappy handwriting. She unfolded the note and began to read. Written inside were four words:

 _It's over. I'm sorry.  
_

Suddenly, Angela felt her life come crumbling around her. Their plans, their home, their future children, destroyed by two sentences. Not verbal sentences, sentences in a stupid letter, which now lay in pieces at Angela's feet, like her heart. But tearing it up was of no use: Ratchet's handwriting was burned into her vision. When she closed her eyes, she could see the writing clearly, as if etched on the back of her eyelids. She collapsed on the sofa, and began to cry, hot tears filling her eyes, her sobs echoing in the empty apartment.

How could he do this to her? Not only had he stomped on her heart, he had done it in the most cowardly and cruel way possible. She never dwelled on the possibility of Ratchet breaking up with her, but Angela always expected him to show her some respect and do it in person. The more she thought about it, the more it pained her.

She was angry, but she didn't hate him. The fact that she loved him made this hurt all the more. She wiped her eyes, picked up the HoloVision remote from the table, and turned it on. The news came on, and she sat there, absent-mindedly watching the weather report, with Ratchet and his note in the back of her mind, the words replaying in her mind again and again.

 _It's over. I'm sorry. It's over. I'm sorry. It's over. I'm sorry._

Then it switched to a live report from Veldin. Angela sat up and watched as the Galactic Rangers were being thrashed by strange, creepy-looking, tentacle-eyed creatures, which the report referred to them as 'Tyhrrannoids'.

Then it all made sense. Ratchet and Clank had gone to Veldin. Ratchet broke off their relationship so Angela wouldn't be destroyed if something happened to him, but didn't have the time to wait until she returned from work. After all, who knew how much damage the Tyhrrannoids were capable of dealing in a short space of time? And if they did pull through? She recalled how the boys' new-found celebrity status in Bogon caused them to get sucked into staying. Chances are the same thing would happen again in Solana.

And if they didn't? Their picture would be all over the news for a week and then they would fade into obscurity.

She then realised that the possibility of her never seeing Ratchet again was very real. Angela started crying again, sat alone in the empty apartment. She didn't even get to say goodbye.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Reflection_** **\- Chapter 4**

 **Chapter edited 24/05/2018, just some small tweaks to make it flow a bit better.**

* * *

 **Tundor Wastes, Grelbin.**

It was very, very late, and Angela Cross was exhausted. This was the sixth time she had woken up in four hours, and this cycle was bound to continue until she had to get up for work in three hours' time. Her eyelids felt heavy and her eyes stung viciously regardless of whether they were open or not, but she couldn't sleep. She turned onto her back and stared at the blank ceiling in her bedroom, listening to the violent snow storm whistle and howl outside, and desperately wished for the sweet release of sleep.

Insomnia: a noun that had haunted Angela all year. This never used to be a problem. After Ratchet left, she felt herself feeling... empty, unsure of what to do with herself. So she drowned herself in her work at MegaCorp which worked at first. Until she found the deadlines getting tighter and tighter, the company requiring more research but giving the geneticists less time to complete it. It was stressful, even for someone as level-headed as Angela. The first project she had been assigned at MegaCorp had to be completed in a measly 2 months. She finished it in half the time, and felt as relaxed as if she were taking a first-grade math test: it was child's play. But recently, she had been given two months to finish work when realistically it would require six.

It freaked her out. The pressure in the labs was so high, she would lay awake night after night worrying about how much work she would be able to complete the following day, until her alarm started screaming to tell her it was time to get up. The work day was always a disaster, as she tripped and stumbled her way through to the evening, barely able to function, only for the cycle to be repeated as soon as her head hit her pillow. After a month of this chaos, her supervisor, who for once was being a grumpy, grey and reasonable woman in her 50s, told Angela to get it checked out. Once the verdict came through, she was given leave from work for two months. Those two months were spent experimenting with different medications, and she found one that sort of worked, every once in a while. In hindsight, it was a miracle she hadn't been fired for incompetence. Then again, her track record with the company had always been impeccable. She frequently thanked her seventeen-year-old self and her incredible aptitude, because it saved her, six years later.

She rolled onto her side, and read her clock's display: 3:31 am. She groaned as she buried her face into her pillow, and cursed into it. Only two and a half hours until the alarm was due to start beeping. _Wonderful_ , she thought. She remained like this, listening to the screaming wind outside, the Arctic Leviathans crying out, a ship's thrusters, the Y.E.T.I.s snarling...

A ship's thrusters? Who would be out in the storm at this time? They had to have a death wish to even attempt to fly out there, unless they were an exceptionally skilled pilot. Even then they would only have a slight chance of a safe landing. _They'd have a better chance of winning the lottery_ , Angela thought darkly.

Perhaps they were searching for moonstones? Sometimes people searched the wastes in pursuit of the precious stones. In her opinion, Angela thought those who tried to find moonstones out here were suicidal, and the risk for the lumps of rock were definitely not worth the risk. Other people disagreed, hence they came here to search. She lifted herself up from her pillow, her curly hair tumbling onto it, straining to hear what was going on outside. She could faintly make out a soft tapping on a metallic surface, then silence. She listened for a few seconds, before the tapping could be heard again, though this time it was louder. It took a few seconds more for her sleep-deprived brain to register that it was _her_ front door, and, in a failed attempt to get up, got her feet tangled up in her sheets and plummeted to the wooden floor with a shrill yelp and a dull _thud_.

"Ow..." she groaned, tugging at the sheet swaddled around her legs, freeing herself. As she pulled herself to her feet, she scurried out of her bedroom, scooping up a dressing gown off the bedpost at the end of her bed as she walked. As she entered the living room, she heard another tapping at the door.

"Alright, alright," she grumbled as she wrapped the gown around herself. "Someone had better be dying, or there will be hell to pay."

Angrily, she yanked open her front door. "Yes?" she snapped impatiently, the lack of sleep severely souring her mood, before looking down. She froze, and not because of the blistering cold air that blew across her. "Ratchet?" she whispered, her eyes unable to process what they were seeing.

"Hey Ang," the Lombax said, shivering slightly, his arms wrapped around himself in a futile attempt to keep him warm. Snow had clung to his fur, chilling him further. "Can I come in? It's pretty cold out here."

* * *

Ratchet had not sat on this sofa for a very long time, and he found it oddly comforting. Angela had turned the heating on full for the night, and had found a blanket for her guest to wrap himself up in. The fact that this man was sat in her living room, on her sofa after all this time was surreal for her. She thought he had left for good, yet here he was, sat beside her, just like old times.

But not quite.

"Look Angela," he apologetically started, "I wanted to explain myself-"

"I know why you left," she interrupted, "but before you start, _I_ have some things to say." She found herself getting progressively angrier with Ratchet, as if the dam that usually suppressed her emotions had cracked, and its structural integrity was rapidly crumbling. She stood up from her seat beside him, and started pacing - her way of releasing her anger-induced energy. "First of all," she started, "I understand your reasons for leaving, and I admire that, but you had no right to assume that I wouldn't be able to cope with being in a relationship with an intergalactic hero!" she yelled, waving an outstretched index finger in an accusatory manner. "You could have easily flown back after you cleaned everything up in Solana, and we could have carried on as normal! It was not your decision to make!"

Ratchet didn't respond, and instead looked guiltily at his feet, not daring to make eye contact with her. _I could have handled it so much better_ , he scolded himself, knowing that he had royally screwed up...

She angrily shook her head before continuing. "And say if things hadn't gone well, and you got eaten by a Tyhrranoid, I would have been devastated." She paused for a moment to compose herself, her tone softening for a split second. This brief moment of bliss was quickly interrupted by the female lombax launching straight back into her rant. "But I wouldn't be thinking, oh, I don't know... that _asshole_ just picked up his stuff and left me!" she snapped, furiously scowling at Ratchet. "Secondly, you had no right to just show up here, in the middle of the night, considering you abandoned me without even saying goodbye!" she continued yelling, getting more and more animated. "Have you ever heard of calling ahead? We haven't even seen each other in a year!" She felt hot tears run down her face, and collapsed on the sofa in resignation. "It took me months to get over you," she whispered, her voice cracking as she brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "It took months of tears, heartache and distractions to forget how much I loved you, and now-" she looked over at Ratchet, who still didn't dare look at the woman, "-now I'm not so sure whether I truly did get over you."

Ratchet gazed up, his eyes glistening with tears. "Going back to Solana was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," he said softly, his voice cracking. Crying was something Angela had never seen him do, and she wasn't sure how to react. She wanted to comfort him, but she also wanted to strangle him. _Maybe it's best if I keep my distance..._

He sniffed slightly before continuing. "Fighting six hundred Protopets would have been easier than leaving you. Fighting six hundred _mutant_ Protopets would have been easier." He reached over, shrugged the blanket off of his wiry frame, and gently clasped Angela's hand with both of his, but she didn't react, acting indifferent to what was happening. "If I could have done it differently, I would have."

Angela shook her head sadly, looking blankly at the floor in front of her. "But you didn't do it differently. You left and it messed me up, that's what happened."

"I never stopped loving you Ang, and you know that," he persisted. "Recently, I've found that I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, and all the time we spent together. I want all of that back. It can be just like before, I promise." He watched for her reaction, to find there was none. She wasn't the person to believe in empty promises, nor was she one to trust people who broke her heart. "I won't go this time," he whispered, only to notice Angela's expression grow sadder, as if she was reliving that dreadful evening all over again.

She looked at Ratchet, and said, slowly, "Trying to get over you and move on with my life was the single most painful experience of my entire life. You say you won't go, but somehow I know you mean it. You're not a bad guy Ratchet, far from it. But if it doesn't work out, I can't put myself through all of that pain again." She ran a finger and thumb back and forth across her distinct jawline: a sign Ratchet learned to mean she was indecisive.

Ratchet squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Angela, it'll be different."

Her eyes glassed over for a split second, before filling up with tears. "I can't do it," she said as she pulled her hands away from Ratchet and placed them in her lap. "Not again. I'm sorry, Ratchet." She buried her face in her hands and began to cry harder, her sobs shattering Ratchet's heart in two.

"No, I'm sorry," he insisted, "I shouldn't have left." He sighed before speaking again. "I let you down Ang, and I don't deserve a second chance. I'm surprised you didn't rip my head off as soon as you saw me." He let off a small chuckle and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, causing Angela to look up at the chiseled face, the strong build, and the swoon-inducing eyes, the man she was still very much in love with. She hadn't got over him and it pained her to realise the fact.

"Believe me, I had considered it," she replied weakly. "But I somehow managed to forgive you ages ago. Don't ask me how, but I found a way." She wiped the tears from her face, only to find Ratchet taking over.

"I didn't expect you to," Ratchet replied, using his thumb to gently brush away the moist tracks Angela's tears had made on her face. Upon registering the touch of his thumb, she tensed, prepared to recoil, but slowly started to relax. Physical contact from Ratchet felt familiar, and it made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Once he had finished wiping away the tears, he sank back into the sofa, unsure of what to do with himself. He could sense it in the air how physically strained things felt. Wondering how to ease the tension, he thought a funny anecdote would be an effective way of diffusing things.

"Remember that time when you tripped in a restaurant and snagged a dining couple's table cloth?" Ratchet said, a smile creeping on his face at the thought of the memory.

Angela shuddered and said, "Don't remind me, that was mortifying." She brushed the hair from her face, which always seemed to be getting in the way. "That was our first date."

"Yeah."

Silence filled the room as the two Lombaxes were unsure of what to say to each other. The pair used to love each other passionately and fully; now they were strangers with history. The snow storm outside had died down considerably, its howl no longer resonating within the house.

"You said you never stopped loving me," Angela enquired, desiring to ascertain how truthful that statement was.

"Not for a single day," Ratchet replied, with a hint of sadness to his voice. "As each day passed, I resented myself more and more. We had so many plans, and I ruined them," he said with an angry growl to his voice.

"Sometimes things just aren't meant to be," Angela said in an attempt to console him. "I realised that a long time ago."

Ratchet started shaking his head, clearly frustrated with himself. "I was going to ask you to marry me!" he cried, tears pouring down his face. "Going back to Solana was not a decision I took lightly! Once I defeated Dr Nefarious, it tore me up. It ate away at me for months! The only time I was able to forget about it was when I was fighting for my life on intergalactic HoloVision!"

"I had no idea..." Angela whispered, holding a hand up to her mouth in disbelief. Not only was this man crying in front of her for the very first time, he wanted to marry her...

"I'll admit now that shortly after I took out Nefarious, I got into a relationship with a woman who was the captain of the starship fleet I was assigned to," he continued, waiting for Angela to slap him for finding another partner so quickly. Angela was never physical with him, but when she seldom got angry, she was certainly a force to be reckoned with, and avoided like the plague. No slap came, so he resumed his story. "Because her father is the Galactic President, she got into politics, so I was made captain of her old ship while she worked on her campaign. Once she was elected Mayor of Metropolis, we barely saw each other. It hurt us both, so we decided to break off the relationship, we ended on good terms. But even being with her didn't make the pain go away, nothing did. It made me forget most of the time, but when I thought of you, it felt like I had rubbed lemon juice into a papercut which was on my eye. It was without a doubt the worst thing I've ever felt."

Angela was still staring at him, struggling to process the revelation that he wanted to marry her once. "You were going to propose?" she asked softly.

Ratchet nodded meekly. "I have a ring and everything."

Angela shot a suspicious look at Ratchet. "Have?" she questioned.

"I keep it with me all the time," he confessed. "It's a reminder of how much I messed up, and how I'd never do anything like that again."

"What about now? Do you have it with you?"

"That depends on two things."

"And they are?" she asked.

"Whether you'll give me a second chance, and whether you want us to start a new relationship, or if you want to pick up where we left off."

Angela didn't know what to say. She looked at him, annoyed that he had just showed up in the middle of the night without hearing anything from him for a year. The nerve of it! Half of her wanted to chase him out of her house for good, and the rest of her wanted to throw herself into his arms. She loved Ratchet, and had never felt this way about anyone else before or after. She remembered that once she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, and was convinced it was going to happen.

 _But then he left_ , her brain told herself, _and he hurt you badly._

She hadn't forgotten, but he had flown all this way to apologise and makes things right. Surely a gesture as grand as this showed her how much she meant to him? Crossing an entire galaxy at night to be with someone was a grand gesture, right? Of course it was. She could now see how exhausted Ratchet was after his journey, noticing bags under his eyes for the first time. He had undergone a lot of physical endurance just to get here, the least she could do was be appreciative of it. Besides, even when they were dating he had always been so sweet and considerate towards her. He was her protector, and he cherished her. She was hopelessly in love with Ratchet, and he loved her just as much; she could see he still did. She could tell just from the way he looked at her with an expression filled with pure adoration.

Surely she could forgive him for one mistake? A mistake that was made a long time ago now.

Could she?

"I don't know," she mustered, running her fingers through her hair, "I don't know what to make of all this."

"I just want to make you happy Ang," Ratchet said, easing her hands away from her hair. She always ran her hands through her hair when she was stressed. "I will do anything to make it up to you, it's your call."

Angela's mind was racing. She was in control of what was going to happen. For once the fate of this relationship was in her hands, and she didn't know what to do with it.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Reflection_** **\- Chapter 5**

 **Edited 6th June 2018 - yeah, I'm still working on these, peace.**

* * *

Angela didn't know what to do other than stare stupidly at her former lover. She felt conflicted, unsure of whether to follow her heart or her head. Yes, this man was serious about her, not to mention she had always wanted him to come back, she yearned for even the smallest glimpse of him, the quickest kiss from him, anything. Her rare instances of sleep often involved dreaming about him and jolting awake, breaking down when the cold embrace of realisation surrounded her, knowing full well that he wasn't even coming back. She knew they worked so well before, and he made her happy, no matter what. She was blissfully in love with him once upon a time, and she was convinced she still was.

But Angela didn't want to get hurt again. And to be realistic, Ratchet was essentially a stranger now. They'd spent a year apart from each other, and during this time neither of them knew the full extent of what had happened to both of them. Ratchet was unaware of her chronic insomnia, and Angela was unaware of his involvement with DreadZone. Ultimately, yes, she loved him, but she couldn't help but feel their relationship was... tainted, like a dirty mark on a wall that you can't quite ignore; no matter how hard you try to forget it's there, you always see it. Worse still, it's the first thing your eye is drawn to, the disgusting, unsightly smudge of the past. It killed her to remember how painful that particular evening was. She decided a long time ago that it was the worse night of her life...

"Angela?" Ratchet asked, cocking his head slightly. "You still there?"

"Uh, yeah, yes, I am," she said quickly, snapping out of her thought process, which didn't seem to reach any solid conclusions. "You've got to understand that this is rather... well..." she said, faltering as she continued running her hand through her hair, chewing her lip slightly as she thought. She winced slightly as she bit too hard into her lip, and grimaced at the unwelcome taste of metal that swept over the tip of her tongue.

"Well?" Ratchet gently encouraged, quickly running his hand over his head, trying to channel his nervous energy into movement - any movement - to ease the apprehension eating away at his stomach.

She sighed, shaking her head sadly, looked at Ratchet, and continued: "It's... overwhelming. I need to some time to think through all of this." She rubbed her hands over her tired eyes in a futile attempt to ward away the sleepiness. "I feel like I need to get to know you all over again, because, and let's face it, we're not necessarily the same people as we were. We've both done and experienced things that may have changed us." She paused for a moment, unsure as to whether or not her argument made sense. "You understand what I'm trying to say, right?" she asked warily.

"I understand," Ratchet said, adding, "I'm sorry I've thrown this onto you. I felt like I finally had to fix things, and that I'd left it long enough." A guilty expression reappeared on his face. "I couldn't wait any longer."

"I get why you came," Angela said, "and I'm glad you did." And she meant it.

Ratchet's ears pricked up in delight. "R-really?" he asked, grin spreading across his face. Angela thought his sudden burst of enthusiasm was cute, and laughed quietly. "You have no idea how much I've missed that laugh," Ratchet said with a warm smile, causing Angela to blush slightly.

"You're just saying that," she shot back shyly, turning even redder.

"No way, I mean it!" Ratchet insisted. "It's the best laugh I've ever heard."

"I'm sure you say that to every woman you date," Angela joked, her blushing not fading. Ratchet shook his head while he laughed, sinking further back into the sofa. His laughter was so infectious, Angela couldn't help but join too.

 _When was the last time I even laughed?_ she thought. She couldn't remember, but right now, it felt so good. She too sank back into the sofa, and felt the sweet embrace of sleep fall over her.

* * *

She woke up to the irritating buzzing sound of the alarm clock in her bedroom, a few metres away. As she opened her eyes, she could see the pale daylight filter through the window, illuminating the dust floating in the room. She lifted her head, only to realise what, or rather, who she had used as a pillow for last few hours. Her head had been resting on Ratchet's firm chest. She could hardly contain her delight! She sat up, only to gaze at the Lombax, who was sprawled out on the sofa, his head propped up by his arm, snoring. She noticed a thin string of drool trickling out of the right side of his mouth, and chuckled to herself.

 _Some things never change_ , she thought, recalling the many mornings where she would get up to go to work and seeing a damp patch on Ratchet's pillow. She would always get a tissue and wipe the spit off his face. She had gotten really good at it, to the point where Ratchet wouldn't even stir anymore. But this time, she decided she would leave it, and have a bit of fun with him.

She got up from the sofa, ensuring she didn't disturb Ratchet, and tiptoed across to her bedroom. Once inside, she darted to her bedside table and switched her alarm off. She sighed a sigh of contentment, amazed things had turned out the way they had so far, before deciding to take a shower. Hopefully it would put her in better state of mind to make decisions, the first of which was whether she would go to work today.

* * *

The hissing of the shower water caused Ratchet to stir. He slowly opened his eyes, and recoiled at the bright daylight from a nearby window. He sat up and felt the cold drool string stick to his face, and recoiled in shock, horror and disgust. Hastily, he wiped it away, and desperately hoped Angela hadn't seen it, mortified at the thought of such an embarrassing situation.

He stretched his arms out and yawned, warding the last cobwebs of sleep away, and stood up. He scratched his nose, getting rid of a small, irritating itch, and realised he was unsure of what he was actually supposed to do. Walking into the bathroom to join Angela was absolutely not an acceptable action, and it wasn't exactly polite to help himself to breakfast either, a custom that his empty stomach growled at in a disgruntled, _feed me_ kind of way.

Ratchet decided to look around Angela's living room instead, and instantly noticed the distinct lack of photo frames in the room. The lack of personalisation perplexed Ratchet, until he suddenly remembered that years ago, there were many framed photographs. Photographs of them. The pang of guilt forced him to return to his seat on the sofa. He felt like the worst person in both Bogan and Solana combined, and buried his face in his hands, groaning loudly and hating himself even more.

"Something wrong?" Angela asked, causing Ratchet to look up. She was wrapped in a bath robe, drying her drenched hair with a towel.

"No, no, of course not," Ratchet replied hastily, offering a cheesy smile. Angela rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Just give me a few minutes to get dressed and call into work," she said, "and we'll discuss everything soon, alright?"

"Sure thing," Ratchet replied, offering a weak smile.

"Nice drool string by the way," Angela taunted before disappearing into her bedroom, the door shutting behind her with a solid _click_.

Ratchet felt a gut-punching sensation emerge within his torso. She _had_ noticed it! He couldn't believe it! He wanted to crawl into a hole and hide there. To avoid the embarrassment, maybe he could escape out of a window and run away before she came back...

 _But I did that before_ , he thought. _And now she hates me_. Sadly, the Lombax sighed and sat back in his seat, planning what he wanted to say to the woman he was convinced was the love of his life. He had to run away to another galaxy and come back to realise it, but he was certain it was her.

Before Ratchet could even finish his plan, Angela emerged from her bedroom, wearing a cream sweater and jeans. Her hair, which was still slightly damp, was worn loose, and she was running a hairbrush through it, removing the tangles. "So," she said, concentrating on her hair de-tangling, "I've called work, told them I can't come in because of my sleeplessness."

"You can do that?" Ratchet enquired.

"Sure," she shrugged as she leaned against a small table against a wall opposite from the sofa, "I'm a chronic insomniac. This isn't the first time I've done this, not sure it'll be the last."

"Insomnia?" Ratchet raised a concerned eyebrow. "This was never a problem before. What caused this?"

Angela, while concentrating on a particularly stubborn knot of hair, said, "Work stress. Deadlines and whatnot."

Ratchet shot her a skeptical look, which, due to her preoccupation, Angela missed. "Work?" he asked, his voice dripping with doubtfulness.

She stopped brushing her hair, looked up, and simply said, "Yeah, work."

"Are you sure it's not because of anything else?" he pressed.

"What do you mean?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes.

"You fell asleep very quickly last night."

"Sometimes that happens. It's very rare, but it happens."

"On the night I happen to be here?"

"It's called 'coincidence,' Wrench Monkey," she said, sighing in exasperation.

Ratchet chuckled, shaking his head at her stubborness and pride. "Whatever you say, Ang." He continued watching her brush her hair, while she watched him watching her out of the corner of her eye. Silence filled the room with the exception of Angela's hairbrush tugging at her hair. After a moment of silence, she angrily sighed, and said, "Maybe you're right Ratchet, maybe the sleep issues are because of you."

"Thank you!" Ratchet exclaimed, shooting Angela an _I told you so_ look, causing her to scowl. He grinned at her, to which a smile slowly crept across her face, breaking her glare and forcing her into a laugh.

"I can never stay mad at you, Ratchet," she chortled, getting up and wandering over to Ratchet on the sofa, plopping herself beside him.

"Believe me, many have tried," he joked, "but all have failed."

"I've been mad at you all year!" she protested, feeling slightly irked at his self-assured statement. "Don't forget that."

"Yet I still broke your defences down. Trust me Angela, any hard feelings you have are feelings you can't maintain."

"That is a _very_ bold statement," she said angrily, causing Ratchet to chuckle. She couldn't believe the nerve of him! He waltzes in here at ridiculous hours uninvited and unannounced, and here he is acting as if everything is suddenly all okay. She decided enough was enough. Time to put him in his place.

"I think that's enough," she said dangerously, in a low voice, wiping the grin from Ratchet's face. "You're not off the hook yet, you still hurt me."

Ratchet's eyes uneasily flickered around his surroundings, before settling on Angela. "I'm sorry, I went too far with the joking."

"That's okay, it's easy to get carried away," Angela said soothingly.

"Don't we know it," Ratchet shot back cheekily, his grin plastered on his face.

Angela was taken aback. _Damn, he is smooth_ , she thought, her heart fluttering. She mentally cursed. His charm was too much to resist. It seemed that this was the same old Ratchet from before, and she couldn't fight it anymore.

 _But what if he hurts you again?_ her brain kept badgering her.

"Shut up," she told herself, "there won't be an 'again', so leave me alone!"

 _But you know there will be!_

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?" Ratchet asked, his face full of worry at Angela's sudden outburst.

"Uh..." she fumbled, feeling the heat as her face slowly turned red. "I... I..." she stuttered, desperately wanting to say how she felt, but found that she couldn't pluck up the courage to say it. She was furious at herself, at her cowardice. _Say something, Ang! Say how you feel! You've waited a whole year to say this again!_ she thought.

"Ang?"

She took a deep breath, and began to speak. "Ratchet," she started, locking her sapphire eyes on his emerald ones, "the way you suddenly left was pretty crappy, but I understand that an entire galaxy's safety and freedom is more important than a lone Lombax's happiness." Ratchet had started to speak up, only to be silenced by Angela. She continued: "It messed me up, and made me miserable, made me an insomniac, made me mad at you for the longest time. But, despite all this, I was desperate for you to come back. I was so desperate, it ached. Everything that happened caused me so much pain. But now you're here, and I've decided what I'm going to do." She longingly looked at Ratchet. "It's crazy, but this is my decision, and I'm gonna do it." And with that, she leaned forward, and kissed Ratchet, feeling a wave of nostalgia run across her brain as soon as her lips made contact with his. This was so familiar, and felt so right, and she hated the fact that they had to break away. The both looked at each other, unsure of how to react to Angela's sudden advance.

"... wow..." Ratchet mustered, struggling to process what just happened.

"I'm giving you another chance, Ratchet. Don't mess this up," she stated, gently caressing his face with her right hand, savouring the physical contact she had spent such a long time away from.

Ratchet looked at the woman who only mere seconds before was convinced he was inevitably going to lose, and said the only thing that sprung to his mind: "Dinner?"


	6. Epilogue

**_Reflection_** **\- Epilogue**

 **Chapter edited 24/05/2018 - another chapter tweak, the others will follow.**

* * *

 **Megapolis, Endako, Bogan Galaxy, two years later.**

Angela sighed a deep, depressing sigh.

"You okay?" Ratchet asked, turning onto his left side to look at her. She was lying on her back in bed, staring at the ceiling of what used to be Clank's apartment, but was now theirs. She turned her head to look at Ratchet, and smiled. It was a sad smile, and Ratchet saw that her eyes didn't light up the way they usually do when she smiles. He could sense something was off with her, especially since she was terrible at hiding whenever she was upset, instead employing a rather miserable expression.

"I'm okay."

"Are you sure about that? That was a very sad sigh."

"This will probably sound stupid since we moved a year ago, but I miss my place on Grelbin," she said, not letting on that there was something even greater on her mind, hoping this will throw him off the scent.

"It's not stupid," Ratchet said reassuringly, "I kind of miss my workshop too."

Angela turned over to face him, and said, "At least we managed to fix it up."

Ratchet nodded in agreement. "I'm amazed we finished it, it did take a really long time."

"Only because you kept putting it off," Angela said, shooting a look as if to say _R_ _eally?_ Ratchet chuckled, before leaning closer to Angela to give her a quick kiss. He broke away and moved back, and looked into Angela's blue eyes. Ratchet couldn't believe how lucky he was. It had been a busy year. After their engagement a year ago, the pair had decided that it was time to move in together. Thankfully, the frantic search for a place was omitted when Clank offered to give them his apartment, saving them precious time. Four months later, they had a quiet wedding with a few friends in attendance. Angela was still working at MegaCorp, whereas Ratchet had opened his own garage in Allgon City, where business had been booming. Many people came by just to express their gratitude towards the lombax for saving their city, despite the fact that the Protopet infestation occurred four years ago, and many more came to have their ships repaired by the best mechanic this side of Bogan.

"You know," Ratchet started, fiddling with his wedding ring as he turned onto his back, "I'm still not used to wearing this."

"Are you serious?" Angela questioned, sitting up and propping herself up with her arm. "You've been wearing that for eight months now."

"Not for eight months straight," he corrected, still fiddling with the ring, twisting it around his finger.

"You take it off?"

"When I'm working with engines, otherwise it'd be pretty badly nicked by now."

"I see," Angela simply said before falling quiet, the brief sensation of dread vanishing as quickly as it rose.

"Did you think I took it off because I'm cheating?" Ratchet asked with a goofy grin, propping himself up on his arm again.

Angela shook her head, trying to hide the small smile on her face, but failing. "Of course not, I know you don't cheat." She leaned closer to Ratchet's ear, and whispered, "You rebound instead."

"Hey!" Ratchet protested, "I thought we agreed to leave that Sasha business behind us!"

"I never said anything about Sasha," Angela said as she rolled her eyes, before laughing again. "Yet you immediately jumped to your own defense, incredible." Ratchet, unsure of how to react, gave a nervous laugh and shrugged sheepishly. Angela shook her head at him, grinning. "I have no idea why I married you, I still think we're too young," she said, testing to see Ratchet's reaction. Were they too young for this? What else were they too young for?

"First of it," he started, counting each point off on his fingers, "I'm 22, and you're 24; it's young, but not too young. And you married me because I gave the best proposal ever," Ratchet cheekily shot back, only to receive a gentle cuff over the head from his wife.

"You're a moron," Angela joked, feeling her face ache from all of the grinning.

"I'm _your_ moron, and you love me," Ratchet replied, giving her a wide-eyed, puppy-dog expression, one she found difficult to stay even remotely annoyed at.

"Don't push it, Rebound." She flicked her hair behind her shoulder, disbelieving Ratchet had managed to maintain his self-assured manner after all these years. But she didn't think he was wreckless, not anymore. Everything he did, dealing with Nefarious and Vox, explained where his developed sense of maturity came from, and she felt terrible for him. The things he had to see and do on DreadZone, like some helpless puppet in a twisted show, it sickened her.

Pausing for thought, she realised there was no point in dwelling on the awful things anymore, especially as things were great - for now.

Plus Ratchet was right: his proposal was the best.

* * *

 **Tundor Wastes, Grelbin, one year** **ago.**

"Good morning," Angela said as she watched Ratchet stir from his usual, deep slumber. Being a heavy sleeper, it took a lot to wake the rocket mechanic up. He once slept through the time a Y.E.T.I. broke into the house and wrecked the place, Angela not daring to venture out to confront it. Instead, she chose to barricade them in her room and hope it wouldn't try to smash its way in.

"Morning," he slurred, rubbing his eyes.

"Happy anniversary," she beamed. Angela couldn't believe that it had been a year since she took Ratchet back, and she was convinced that this first year was even better than the one from their previous relationship. However, her smile faltered when she noticed the look on Ratchet's face - a mixture of embarrassment and guilt. "Is something wrong?" she asked, cocking her head in concern, her curls tickling Ratchet's nose.

"This is our second first-year anniversary," he explained, "and I still feel terrible."

"Ratchet," she said softly, "we both agreed to leave all of that behind us. It doesn't matter anymore because you're with me, right here, right now. So let's just focus on today and enjoy it. Deal?"

He slowly smiled, and said, "Deal." The last year had been a rocky one for Ratchet, given that he still hadn't forgiven himself for what he did to Angela. Instead, he focused his energy on being the most attentive, loving, and caring partner he could be, because he was convinced he had to make it up to his girlfriend and her year of work stress, isolation and sleepless nights. Despite her resilient nature, she had to endure the heartbreak and all of its devastating complications at such a young age. And it seriously screwed her up, she claimed.

He often did sweet things to surprise her when she had to work late, often ordering a take-out, or, better yet, cooking her favourite foods, and then settling down in the evenings with a HoloVid boxset, watching shows such as The Stalking Dead, or, Angela's personal favourite, Companions. She loved watching the highs and lows of six young adults in living in Allgon City, dealing with crazy situations and failed relationships. It always made her feel good, and snuggling up to Ratchet made it tenfold better. She often fell asleep watching it, resulting in Ratchet having to gently scoop her up and take her to bed. Once she had started sleeping easily again, Angela took great satisfaction in throwing out her medication.

"So, what do we have planned today?" Angela asked, gently caressing Ratchet's cheek. He sat up, joining Angela, and leaned in for a long, lingering kiss.

"We can do whatever we want," he replied, "because today is all about us."

Angela jokingly groaned. "And here I wanted today to be all about me." She laughed, twirling a lock of her hair with one hand, while tugging at the collar of her nightshirt with the other. Her nervous fidgeting made Ratchet's chest stir. It seemed to him that every day he was able to fall in love with Angela all over again, usually caused by her quirky little mannerisms: the way she talked, laughed, walked, and fiddled with things while thinking or speaking. He adored it all.

"That's too bad, because we're gonna have to share," Ratchet said, smiling at his girlfriend. "But first things first, you want breakfast?"

"Absolutely, I'm starving."

"Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back," Ratchet said, kissing Angela one last time before getting up, scooping clothes off the floor and pulling them on as he navigated his way out of the bedroom. He closed the door behind him, and then darted to the kitchen. He pulled open the fridge door, pulled out various different ingredients, and got to work. He had a special surprise waiting for Angela, and he wanted it to go perfectly.

* * *

The smell of cooking food coming from the kitchen was driving Angela crazy! She was so hungry, she felt like she could go outside and eat a Y.E.T.I. and was seriously considering doing so. Thankfully, Ratchet came in at just the right time, carrying a tray filled with many tasty treats. Ratchet walked over to Angela's side of the bed, and gently placed the tray on her lap, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek as he did so, causing her blush slightly. Even after dating this man for two years, albeit not consecutively, he still made her feel giddy and overwhelmingly happy.

"This looks absolutely incredible," Angela exclaimed, scanning the tray. "I mean, there's pancakes, eggs, fruit," she listed, as her eyes drifted over to a small, black box sat in the corner of the tray. "What's this?" she asked, reaching over and gently picking up the box.

"Before you open that," Ratchet quickly chipped in, moving the tray off of Angela's lap before sitting beside her on the bed, "I just want to say a couple of things. Again, I know after a year of dating is a bit early to be doing this, but I want to do this."

Angela looked up at Ratchet in amazement. "You didn't..." she whispered upon realising what her fellow lombax was doing. She couldn't believe this was about to happen, and she knew that the object contained within the box she held was one that Ratchet had had in his possession for the last two years. In her mind, it felt as if time had almost stood still.

"Angela," he started, "we have been together for the last year, and have, yet again, had an incredible time and made some wonderful memories, all of which I will cherish for the rest of my life."

"Don't do this," Angela laughed, "you'll make me cry." And she meant it, she rarely cried at anything even remotely soppy.

"I'll admit that the first time around, I messed up big time, but I am so grateful that you gave me a second chance to make you happy. God knows why you did, but I vowed to make sure I would never, ever hurt you again." Ratchet gently took the box from Angela's hand, and cleared his throat before continuing. "And I vowed to never leave you again. To make sure of that, I have one thing to ask you."

"You're making me cry," Angela said, grinning while a single tear ran down her face. She couldn't believe this was happening! It was happening! This was real!

He opened the ring box, revealing a simple, silver ring with a small diamond embedded in it. Angela gasped as soon as she saw it, her mouth hanging slightly open. The simplicity of the ring showed that Ratchet knew, even two years ago, that Angela resented anything even remotely flashy (when Ratchet first complimented her house, she was clearly and painfully embarrassed by her comfortable financial situation). She thought the ring was absolutely perfect. "Angela Cross, you are the love of my life. Will you marry me?"

"Yes, of course I'll marry you," she said calmly, before the uncontrollable wave of happiness that swept her caused her to burst into tears. _So much for playing it cool_ , she thought, smiling all the while.

Ratchet gently eased the ring out of the box, unable to restrain his uncontrollable beaming, and placed it on the ring finger of Angela's outstretched hand. He then leaned forward and took Angela, his fiancée, into a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around Ratchet's finely toned torso, struggling to register what had just happened.

"I love you," she finally said from within the hug.

"I love you too, Ang," he replied, feeling like the luckiest man in the world. He had won her, lost her, and won her again. This time, there was absolutely nothing that would tear them apart.

* * *

 **Endako, Megapolis, Bogan Galaxy, present day.**

"I'll be right back," Angela said absent-mindedly, before getting up and leaving the bedroom. Ratchet watched her as she walked out and rolled onto his back.

He wondered how Clank was doing. He was probably filming for Secret Agent Clank, which was still as popular as ever. Now that Ratchet was no longer a member of the cast, he found he could now watch the show without getting embarrassed. He watched each and every episode as it was aired every week, and avoided reruns like the plague. Angela, in an attempt to wind Ratchet up, would deliberately watch the reruns, laughing at Ratchet's bumbling chauffeur role. To this day, Ratchet had no idea if his character was written in for comic relief or not. It didn't matter now, as, thankfully, his days as an actor were long behind him. He still couldn't understand how saving two galaxies would land him a role in a television show; he didn't even like acting!

Angela came back into the room with a worried expression on her face. An expression that never delivers good news.

"Is something wrong?" Ratchet asked, immediately bolting upright as he saw her.

"That depends," she said sadly with a sigh, before going to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Depends on what?" Ratchet asked soothingly, shuffling over towards where she was sat.

"On your reaction," she replied, looking at Ratchet with tear-filled eyes that were threatening to spill on her face. She took a deep breath, and said, "I'm pregnant."

Silence.

"You're pregnant," Ratchet repeated, looking at Angela blankly. She nodded solemnly, as if to emphasis that this was genuinely happening. Yet she was in a state of disbelief, waiting for her husband to freak, bracing for the fallout.

"So... we're going to have a baby?" he asked, running his hand through the tuft of fur on his head. She nodded again, albeit very slowly. Ratchet felt the biggest smile grow on his face. "That's... that's... that's incredible, Ang!" he declared, leaning on his knees while placing his hands on top of his head. "I'm gonna be a dad!" he shouted before laughing. Angela felt a wave of relief fall over her. Ratchet was happy with the news. She figured he would walk out on her, breaking her heart for a second time and leaving a baby without a father. Luckily, that wasn't the case, a thought which comforted her greatly.

She crawled onto the bed, leaned on her knees to meet Ratchet's embrace, and joined in with his laughter.

"You're not mad?" she asked, as she moved away from him, locking eyes with him.

"Are you kidding?" he questioned. "This is the best news I've ever heard! We're going to be a family!" He laughed again, 'overjoyed' being an understatement for how good the lombax was feeling. He felt on top of the world, unstoppable.

"Don't you think we're too young?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice, her smile faltering.

"Maybe a bit," he admitted, his smile not fading, "but that doesn't mean we won't be great parents!" His response made her smile grow again. He was right, they would be great. They would have their own child to raise, a child who will know who its parents are, whose parents will always be there to take care of it. She felt her heart melt as she watched Ratchet kiss her stomach, hearing him say, "Hey there little fella, I'm your daddy, and I'm going to teach you to build so many cool things."

She knew that this would be the best thing to ever happen to her, and that this was just the beginning of something wonderful.

* * *

 **So, this is the end of** _ **Reflection**_ **. Despite having some initial difficulty continuing after the first chapter (debating whether or not to start again and do a long one-shot was not fun), this little project had been one of my favourite things to work on for the last few weeks, and I'm really pleased by how well it's turned out. The response I've got from this has been awesome, and reading the various reviews has been both encouraging and hilarious. Now that we're here, I'm quite sad to see it end, but this is a story of Ratchet and Angela (Rangela anyone?) after** _ **Locked and Loaded**_ **(** _ **Going Commando**_ **for those not from Europe or Australia, I'm from the UK, we got the boring, non-euphemistic title ;)). Thanks to everyone who took time out of their day to read this, favourite/follow it, and drop a review. Even if you've made it this far, thanks for sticking to the end.**

 **~TWRSB**

 **Pssst... anyone want a sequel?**


End file.
